Resplendent – Chapter 602

Chapter 602: Second Brother’s Betrothal

Though winter in Fanjing did not bring heavy snowfall as early as late October in Yan City, the cold intensified day by day after the onset of the twelfth lunar month. To complete construction before the snow fell, two teams, craftsmen from the Duke’s Manor and the Hidden Soul Palace, worked in shifts around the clock at the pharmaceutical factory on the western outskirts of the capital.

Fortunately, the factory buildings need not be overly complex or ornate. Sturdy and functional sufficed. By the late half of winter, both the factory and the workers’ dormitories were nearing completion.

One day, with nothing pressing to attend to, Gu Ye took her apprentice and the two maidservants, Hua Hao and Yue Yuan, galloping westward toward the outskirts.

Near the western estate stood a small hill, its woods teeming with harmless game like wild rabbits, pheasants, and even roe deer. Craving spicy rabbit heads, she decided to hunt some on the way! 

Hearing the news, Chu Xiaoliu and Gu Ming, who were on leave at home, along with the now-moldy Fourth and Fifth Young Masters, eagerly joined in. Under the pretext of escorting their sister, they all headed out of the city.

Shortly after passing through the city gates, Princess Anya caught up to the Chu family’s large group riding her beloved steed, Lieyan. She galloped up beside Gu Ye, pouting with a touch of imperiousness: “How could you be like this? You’re going out for fun without inviting me? And here I thought I treated you as my very best sister!”

Gu Ye rolled her eyes dramatically. “Big Sister! I’m going to inspect the construction of the pharmaceutical factory, a serious matter. Why would I need you?”

“Who says I’m your Big Sister? You make me sound so ancient! I’m only sixteen this year!” Princess Anya bristled indignantly at the form of address. It sounded like how country folk addressed peasant women—utterly tacky!

“Yeah, a sixteen-year-old maiden still waiting to be betrothed; a spinster with not a single suitor in sight!” Chu Xiaowu, Chu Mubai, sneered with his usual insolence.

“Get lost! This princess is speaking with Xiao Ye’er. What business is it of yours to interrupt? Keep talking nonsense, and I’ll whip you!” Princess Anya was so furious she could have bitten someone.

“Well, you’d better be able to land a blow! This Fifth Young Master here just finished military training camp. If your half-baked skills could actually hit me, all those years of practice would’ve been wasted!” Ever since Old General Chu became the chief instructor at the Xishan Garrison, he’d dragged these two idle grandsons who had previously spent their days playing with cats and walking dogs into training. Every day, they joined the garrison’s noble offspring in drills.

Though Chu Xiaosi and Chu Xiaowu appeared idle and mingled with other spoiled brats, they had endured relentless torture from their family’s martial arts instructors and the Duke. The Xishan Garrison’s training regimen was mere child’s play to them.

During training, they even voluntarily increased their own loads. When others carried thirty kilograms, they added up to fifty. When others ran ten laps, they doubled theirs. Even with the extra weight, those pampered young masters still fell behind.

Though they were good friends in daily life, when it came to training, Xiaosi and Xiaowu never held back when mocking others. Their competitive spirit was ignited by the two, pushing them to grit their teeth and endure no matter how grueling the training became. Those two were certainly getting their money’s worth…

Princess Anya’s face turned pale with fury. Clenching the whip in her hand, she gritted her teeth and declared, “We’ll find out whether I can whip you or not!”

With that, the supple whip lashed out. Chu Mubai swayed his hips with a smirk, dodging effortlessly as Princess Anya’s lashes repeatedly missed their mark. His infuriatingly sharp tongue mercilessly taunted her. 

Princess Anya was panting with exhaustion, tears welling in her eyes from rage, yet utterly powerless against him.

Gu Ye could no longer bear to watch, her fingers twitching slightly. 

Chu Mubai, who had been cheerfully dodging the flying whip, suddenly felt his entire body go limp. Unable to stay seated, he tumbled from his horse.

Princess Anya gasped in shock. The incident happened so abruptly that, glancing over absentmindedly, she thought it was her own whip that had knocked him from his mount.

She leapt from her horse and rushed to Chu Mubai’s side. Fortunately, his horse was well-trained and hadn’t trampled him as he fell. 

Chu Mubai was merely weak and sore all over, with a thin layer of skin peeled off his forehead from the fall.

“What the hell was that? Why didn’t you dodge? Don’t tell me you’ve been slacking off in your training lately and your skills have deteriorated?” Princess Anya was filled with anxiety, yet her sharp tongue remained unrelenting.

Chu Mubai gave his sister a wry smile and sighed. “I suddenly lost all my strength and fell off the horse myself. Your whip didn’t even graze me! Little Sister, why are you turning your elbows outward?”

Gu Ye’s motion to drug her fifth brother had been subtle; only Gu Ming had noticed, while the other two brothers remained oblivious. Only now did they realize that their brother’s fall from his horse had been orchestrated by their little sister.

Gu Ye flicked her fingernail toward her Fifth Brother. 

Chu Xiaowu, who had been lying limp on the ground, sprang up instantly. He shot his sister a resentful glance before leaping back onto his horse, leaving everyone with a desolate silhouette as he rode away.

“Fifth Brother, you must learn to treat girls with tenderness and care. Your words just now were far too harsh, even I couldn’t bear to listen!” Gu Ye declared without a hint of regret, “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have given you the Soft Tendon Powder. I should have given you the ‘Gentleman’s Silence’ instead!”

Princess Anya walked over with a grin, wrapping an arm around Gu Ye’s shoulder. “This princess truly didn’t misjudge you. You’re my best sister! But what exactly is this Gentleman’s Silence stuff?”

“A potion that renders you mute after ingestion. Care to try it?” Gu Ye shook off her arm and gave her a sidelong glance, seeming to find the idea rather amusing.

Princess An Ya immediately behaved herself, sitting on her horse like a well-behaved child. Being silenced was worse than death to her.

Chu Xiaowu seemed even more dejected. He turned back, gazing at his sister with the sorrowful look of a jilted lover: “Little Sister, whose sister are you really? You’re not helping your brother, but siding with an outsider instead!”

“I’m impartial, not swayed by personal ties. I side with reason, not kin!” Gu Ye sighed. “With your sharp tongue and lack of romantic sense, what if you can’t find a wife someday?”

Chu Xiaowu frowned. “A true man must establish himself before starting a family. Besides, I still have four older brothers above me! Once they’ve all settled down, there’s plenty of time to worry about me!”

“Do you think there’s still time? Second Brother’s marriage has already been arranged. Big Brother wrote that he’ll return by mid-twelfth month. Mother will surely start arranging his match by then. Third Brother is cunning as a fox. He’ll definitely make plans for himself. Fourth Brother is the same age as you, with the same face, yet he’s clearly far more popular with the girls! You alone have become the real problem child!” Gu Ye frowned, her little face creased with worry, looking utterly frazzled.

Her Second Brother’s marriage was settled after the recognition banquet. Both Lady Jun and the Marchioness of Jiangdong took Gu Ye’s drunken words to heart. That very night, Lady Jun summoned Chu Mufeng to ask his opinion on Miss Yuan.

Yuan Haiqing had just come of age this year, seven years younger than Chu Mufeng. Before the Chu family suffered great misfortune, the two households had maintained close ties due to the friendship between Lady Jun and the Marchioness of Jiangdong. In Chu Mufeng’s memory, she was a short, plump little girl who loved to trail after him and his brothers wherever they went.

The little girl was only two or three years old, waddling along like a duckling. Even when she fell, she wouldn’t cry or let the maids pick her up, still happily trailing after them.

Her speech wasn’t very clear yet, and she’d constantly call out ‘Big Brother, I love you!’ to him. His mother teased the little girl, “Qing’er, which big brother do you love?” “

The little girl would point at him with her chubby little hand and shout loudly, “Big Brother!” making everyone around burst into laughter. He, who was nearly ten at the time, felt a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. From then on, he would always try to avoid the little girl.

His sixth younger brother, however, was close in age to the little girl and often played with her. Later, when the Chu family was exiled, his memories of the little girl gradually faded.

He had assumed that even if the two families were to form an alliance through marriage, it would be with one of his younger brothers—the fourth, fifth, or sixth—who were closer in age to Xiao Qing’er. He never expected that the Marquis of Jiangdong’s household would set their sights on him.

Even so, his own heart didn’t seem to resist the idea. Last year, at the outer arena outside the pass, he saw Miss Yuan for the first time in many years. He noticed her because she lacked the haughtiness and arrogance of the capital’s young ladies, showing genuine care toward Gu Ming’s younger sister.

At the time, he didn’t know that the Miss Gu in question was his own sister, the very one brought from Yan City. Many young ladies in the capital shunned her, mocking her with words and looking down on her from the bottom of their hearts. Only the young lady from the Yuan family and the daughter of the Grand Secretary genuinely befriended her, taking her hunting and sightseeing in the hunting grounds. Back then, he held a fair amount of appreciation for that forthright and generous young lady.

When they met again, she had become his sister’s closest confidante. The once-chubby little ball had blossomed into a tall, graceful young woman—fit, cheerful, and kind-hearted! He noticed her only because she was one of his sister’s few friends in the capital.

All of a sudden, his sister’s friend became his prospective bride Though he felt somewhat unaccustomed to it, deep down… he didn’t seem to mind. From his mother, he learned that Miss Yuan had been chosen for him by his sister after she’d had one too many. He couldn’t help but feel both amused and helpless.

Still, his criteria for a partner, beyond good character, demanded that she treat his sister well. Everyone said the relationship between sisters-in-law was notoriously difficult to navigate. His sister had endured so much hardship outside the family; he didn’t want his future wife to cause her any more distress.

Miss Yuan had always looked after his sister with great care. Their relationship was as close as that of sisters. Once she entered the family, surely there wouldn’t be any sister-in-law issues?

For a rare moment, Chu Mufeng voiced no opposition, so Lady Jun immediately set things in motion with delight. She and Lady Jiangdong used the excuse of going outside the city to burn incense to arrange a meeting between the two. 

Upon returning, Yuan Haiqing displayed a rare blush of shyness. Chu Mufeng, too, had agreed to proceed with the matchmaking proposal.

After the incense offering, Lady Jun engaged a well-connected matchmaker to visit the Marquis of Jiangdong’s residence. They exchanged engagement cards, formally sealing the betrothal between the two young people.